I am all for sweet, sprinkle covered, frosting filled, never-ending layer cake but every once in a while a slightly sweet and somewhat bitter cake is the perfect thing to eat. Especially one made with clementines to remind us Minnesotans that warm weather exists...somewhere...but not here.
Clementine Cake
adapted from Nigella Lawson
Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Butter and line an 8/9" spring-form pan with parchment paper. Poke each clementine five times with a knife and place in a microwave safe bowl with a cover; microwave for three minutes. Let the fruit cool for about ten minutes and then process the entire fruit (skin and all) in a food processor or blender until smooth.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs and sugar until they have doubled in volume (~five minutes). Add the chopped clementines and mix until combined. Add the ground almonds/almond flour and baking powder and mix until combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 45 minutes. I would suggest making the following adjustment to the baking time in order for your cake to not be too wet: when a toothpick comes out clean and the top begins to brown (any where from 40-50 minutes, always check your cake at about the 3/4 mark!), place tin foil over the cake, place it back in the oven, and cook for another five minutes. Depending on how much liquid is in the fruit, the cake can be a bit wet in the center which some people do not mind (but it bothered me).
Make sure to cool the cake in the pan before removing it. This cake will last for days, uncovered on your counter.
Make the glaze: Fill a small bowl with powdered sugar and add 1/2 teaspoon at a time of clementine juice until it reaches your desired consistency.
Cake
13 oz clementines (4-5 small)
6 large eggs
8 oz sugar (1 1/4 cup)
9 oz ground almonds or almond flour (2 1/4 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
Glaze
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Clementine juice
